Why the NFL trading deadline is so boring

The reason, according to Patriots coach Bill Belichick, lies in the complexity of schemes in the NFL. Speaking Friday to reporters, Belichick offered a rare glimpse into the minds of NFL management, saying it’s difficult to plug in a player from a different system and expect him to be immediately comfortable in his new team’s scheme.

“How quickly can you get him ready, how productive will it be, was it really worth it? Is it worth it to the team who is trading away the player to get not very much for somebody versus just keeping him and playing with him even though you get something for him but it isn’t really worth it? You’d rather have him for those seven, eight games, whatever is left than some pick at the end of the draft that you might not think has a lot of value, especially if you’re worried about your depth at that position with the player that you’re moving.”

The most revealing part about his comments is the insecurity that follows deadline deals; Belichick implies that in many cases coaching won’t be enough to get players assimilated after trades.

The NFL’s trading deadline is Oct. 29th at 4 p.m. ET.

Using the comparison of other sports, it makes sense that deadline deals are more complicated in the NFL, than in the MLB, for example.

“I don’t know much about baseball, but maybe a third baseman on this team, put him at third base on the other team and let him hit. How much is there involved? I’m sure there’s some but it’s not like playing left guard, having 20 different protections and two dozen running plays and a dozen different defenses you have to block every week. It’s a little more involved.”

That’s not to say that it doesn’t ever work. New England’s trade last year for CB Aqib Talib has proven to be brilliant.

Tampa Bay grew tired of Talib’s character concerns while with the Buccaneers. The Patriots took the gamble and inserted Talib into their similar defensive scheme, relying on his physicality at the line of scrimmage. Since the trade, Talib has been included in the conversation of the NFL’s best cornerbacks.

What did it cost the Patriots?

A fourth-round pick.

Most trades, however, don’t have that kind of impact, and it’s not even close. What drives a majority of the deadline deals in the NFL?

“I think that the trades that you’ve seen are kind of financially driven,” Belichick told reporters. “I don’t know how much of it is personnel trading and how much of it is financial trading. However you want to look at it, for draft choices or for cap relief.”

Looking at the biggest trade of the season, a swap between the Browns and the Colts for RB Trent Richardson and a first-round pick, Belichick’s comments hold true.

“I’d say every team in the league is dealing with some type of personnel issues so where you have extra depth it’s probably less than what it was in September and your needs based on whatever players you’ve lost are probably greater than they were in September. Therefore, you need more, there’s less available, it’s a shorter season, you’re trading for a guy for just a short amount of time.”

Bill Belichick says there's "way, way less" trade talk near the deadline than near the 75- or 53-man roster cutdown days.